Cognac Cocktails

by CAMPER ENGLISH / cocktails by DAMIAN WINDSOR of the ROGER ROOM / photographs by BARTHOLOMEW COOKE

Can it be Cognac has arrived at the cocktail party so late as to find itself unfashionable? Considering that bartenders have been bathing their vintage-drink menus in gin, rye, rhum agricole and smoky scotch, Cognac seems an odd spirit to avoid, given that it’s flavorful, mixes easily and has quite the impressive pedigree.

Today, the Sazerac—originally a Cognac cocktail named after the Sazerac-de-Forge et Fils brand—is made with bourbon or rye, even in New Orleans, where the drink was created. The mint julep was typically a brandy drink before it morphed into the bourbon beverage we haul out yearly around the time of the Kentucky Derby. And while punch is slowly becoming the new bottle service, rarely is it made with one of its most historically popular base spirits—Cognac.

Its neglect as a base for serious cocktails may be fueled by the popular nightclub practice of mixing it with Coke. While it’s surely no discount mixer, now that many cocktails are hitting the $15 mark and bottles of the famous French brandy cost less than obscure spirits like genever and Old Tom gin, it’s time to make room for Cognac.

We may just be witnessing the turning point, as Cognac is popping up on menus around town, including those at Copa D’oro, the Rivera, First & Hope and the Roger Room. Perhaps the spirit isn’t too late to the cocktail fete after all—it’s just early for the after-party.

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